Ranchi: Inoculation centres doubled to stop overcrowding, ensure better facilities

Ranchi: The health department of the state capital on Wednesday decided to double the number of vaccination centres set up to administer doses to senior citizens in order to decongest the existing and ensure proper facilities.

The decision comes a day after the Union government allowed all private hospitals to give Covid-19 vaccines in compliance with the norms laid down by the Union ministry of health and family welfare. The Centre had also directed the states and union territories to utilise the optimum capacity of private medical facilities empaneled under three categories.

Talking to TOI, Ranchi civil surgeon Dr V B Prasad said, “We have decided to increase the number of vaccination centres to 60 in Ranchi, including 20 at state-run healthcare facilities, 30 at private hospitals and 10 centres to cater to specific sections of people.”

As on Tuesday, 30 vaccination sites were functional at Ranchi sadar hospital, community health centres and other health sub-centres.

There were only two private hospitals which had started vaccination until Tuesday. “All major city-based private hospitals, including Medanta, Orchid Medical Centre, Devkamal, Santavita, Pulse and Rampyari will start inoculating patients from Thursday. We have held a meeting with them and have briefed them on the process and have allocated vaccine vials to them. Medica and Raj are already running the vaccination drive and the total number of private facilities will go up to 30 in next few days,” said Prasad.

Meanwhile, while senior citizens are thronging to vaccination centres in large numbers, numbers of beneficiaries above 45 years with co-morbidities continues to remain slim. A health department official said that on a daily basis, they are vaccinating more than 300 senior citizens at Ranchi district hospital while only 15 people with co-morbidities are turning up for the vaccine shots.

“The reason behind the low footfall of people above 45 years of age with co-morbidities is because in order to get inoculated, one has to present a medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner. However, many do not have them yet, but the numbers will soon pick up,” said Ranchi district health consultant.